California Park Ranger Training and Degree Requirements

California’s immense State park system, which boasts some 280 parks across the state, includes some of the most diverse and well-maintained natural, cultural, and recreational resources in the country. In fact, the California State Park system is responsible for managing 1.59 million acres of land, including over 339 miles of coastline, 974 miles of water frontage, some 15,000 campsites and camping facilities, and 4,456 miles of trails.

State park rangers serve in a variety of field districts throughout the California State Park system. Park rangers in California perform a variety of unique duties, including but not limited to:

Program managements

Resource protection

Patrol duties primarily by vehicle, boat, and foot

Law enforcement

Search and rescue

Fire management and suppression

Traffic control

Specialized assignments

California also has an extensive National park system, with 26 National parks located throughout the state, which recorded 35 million visitors in 2012. National Park rangers work to protect these national treasures and ensure that park goers stay safe and follow park rules while visiting natural and historic landmarks.

Becoming a Park Ranger with the California Department of Parks and Recreation

California State Park rangers serve under the Department of Parks and Recreation. State Park Ranger positions are available at three levels: State Park Ranger Cadet, State Park Ranger, and Supervising State Park Ranger.

State park ranger cadets serve in entry-level positions under close supervision. These positions are ideal for individuals just beginning careers in the park service. Cadets provide law enforcement, as well as visitor services. Cadets also participate in extensive training programs.

State park rangers work as leaders in areas of visitor services, as well as law enforcement and public safety. Park rangers work under the supervision of a supervising ranger. State park rangers often have more experience than Cadets and these positions are often promoted from within.

Supervising state park rangers fill senior positions and serve as chief rangers. Supervising rangers oversee a small to medium staff and operate visitor facilities, as well as perform duties related to safety and enforcement.

Education Requirements:

Californiastate park ranger jobs atall levels require candidates who have two years (60 credit hours) of study at an accredited college or university with at least 21 credits in general education coursework.

It is preferred that candidates have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in one of the following areas:

Park Administration

Natural Sciences

Social Sciences

Law Enforcement

Business Administration

Minimum requirements:

All levels of state park ranger positions must meet several minimum qualifications:

State Park rangers atall levels are also required to earn a number of certifications, including:

Red Cross Advanced First Aid Certificate OR First Responder Certificate

Red Cross or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certificate

An approved Department of Health EMT Certificate can sometimes be substituted for the Red Cross certificates

All California State Park Ranger candidates will also undergo training through the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Basic Course Academy. State Park Ranger Cadets will also participate in the Basic Visitor Services Training Program.

Becoming a National Park Ranger with the National Park Service in California

Individuals interested in working in one of California’s many national parks should consider applying for national park ranger positions with the U.S. National Park Service.

Specific requirements for national park ranger positions vary by position, but there are some standard requirements:

Must be a U.S. citizen

Must be able to pass a background investigation

Must possess a valid driver’s license

Must pass a pre-employment physical

Education requirements:

Most positions will require at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university; however, candidates with at least one year of specialized experience at the GS-4 level can qualify with just two years of post-secondary education. Some relevant areas of study include:

Public administration

Parks and recreation

Natural/Earth science

Natural resources management

Forestry /Forest management

Specialized experience related to the specific position might include:

Work as a tour guide, interpreter, or at a visitor center

Program planning or implementation

Experience with preservation or research

Law enforcement experience

Natural resource management

Emergency assistance

Training requirements:

National Park Ranger positions may require candidates to complete training requirements including but not limited to:

Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program (SLETP)

Basic first aid, CPR, AED and First Responder Certification

Search and Rescue Certification

California Park Ranger Salaries

The National Park Service reports that California is home to 26 national parks which receive a total of 35.5 million visitors each year. In addition, more than $1.5 billion of economic benefit is attributed to the state’s parks. Yosemite National Park, which covers the counties of Tuolumne, Mariposa, and Madera, is perhaps one of the most well known of California’s state parks.

According to the California Department of Parks and Recreation, park rangers are officially recognized as State Park Peace Officers. Information gleaned from the California Department of Human Resources reveals that California park ranger salaries start at $38,532 and $51,756 during the cadet/training period, depending of course on experience. The following is the salary structure on which park rangers in California are paid:

State Park Peace Officer Cadet (Ranger)

Minimum: $38,532

Maximum: $51,756

State Park Peace Officer (Ranger)

Level A

Minimum: $40,128

Maximum: $53,604

Level B

Minimum: $47,772

Maximum: $64,440

State Park Peace Officer Supervisor (Ranger)

Minimum: $55,080

Maximum: $75,120

Additional entry-level salary data is shown in the tables below. This includes various titles that park rangers in various roles are recognized:

Recreation Workers Salaries in California

Area name

Employment

Hourly mean wage

Annual mean wage

Hourly median wage

Hourly 75th percentile wage

Hourly 90th percentile wage

Annual median wage

Annual 75th percentile wage

Annual 90th percentile wage

Bakersfield-Delano CA

910

11.05

22980

10.43

11.85

13.95

21680

24640

29020

Chico CA

230

12.99

27020

11.41

15.03

18.07

23730

31260

37580

El Centro CA

40

13.72

28540

10.01

11.38

28.51

20830

23660

59310

Fresno CA

350

11.73

24400

10.88

12.96

16.04

22640

26950

33350

Hanford-Corcoran CA

90

12.07

25100

9.45

15.56

17.60

19660

32360

36600

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale CA Metropolitan Division

9640

12.21

25400

11.55

13.63

16.34

24030

28350

33980

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana CA

12440

12.26

25490

11.54

13.72

16.64

24010

28530

34610

Madera-Chowchilla CA

60

10.24

21300

9.38

10.81

11.82

19510

22490

24580

Merced CA

150

12.17

25320

10.27

12.64

17.73

21360

26290

36870

Modesto CA

600

10.38

21580

9.62

11.21

13.96

20010

23320

29030

Napa CA

Estimate Not Released

10.47

21780

9.78

11.04

13.07

20340

22960

27190

Oakland-Fremont-Hayward CA Metropolitan Division

4080

13.39

27850

11.75

15.74

20.67

24430

32740

43000

Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura CA

1340

13.71

28530

12.26

15.98

21.53

25500

33240

44780

Redding CA

230

9.74

20250

8.86

9.26

13.29

18420

19250

27640

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario CA

3480

11.41

23730

10.28

11.55

16.60

21390

24010

34520

Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville CA

2020

11.60

24120

10.14

12.87

16.77

21100

26770

34890

Salinas CA

260

14.05

29220

12.15

14.47

19.55

25280

30090

40650

San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos CA

3400

12.68

26370

11.20

14.16

18.54

23290

29450

38550

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA

6790

13.58

28240

11.99

16.37

20.93

24940

34040

43540

San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City CA Metropolitan Division

2720

13.86

28820

12.49

17.04

21.23

25980

35440

44160

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA

2370

13.00

27050

11.62

15.89

18.09

24180

33050

37630

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles CA

350

11.38

23670

10.56

11.62

14.83

21960

24170

30840

Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine CA Metropolitan Division

2790

12.41

25810

11.51

14.08

17.28

23940

29280

35930

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta CA

350

14.90

30990

12.84

16.67

25.04

26710

34680

52070

Santa Cruz-Watsonville CA

240

11.45

23820

10.65

12.79

14.74

22150

26600

30650

Santa Rosa-Petaluma CA

720

12.93

26880

11.73

14.20

18.15

24400

29540

37760

Stockton CA

570

12.13

25230

11.05

13.23

16.82

22990

27520

34980

Vallejo-Fairfield CA

600

11.21

23320

10.31

12.54

15.47

21430

26080

32170

Visalia-Porterville CA

450

11.08

23040

10.63

11.58

14.27

22110

24090

29670

Yuba City CA

Estimate Not Released

14.15

29430

12.87

14.08

24.62

26770

29280

51210

Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area

Estimate Not Released

13.62

28320

12.28

15.04

20.66

25550

31290

42970

Eastern Sierra Region of California nonmetropolitan area

Estimate Not Released

11.96

24870

10.17

13.23

18.89

21150

27510

39290

North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area

290

13.89

28890

11.47

18.79

22.59

23850

39080

46980

North Valley Region of California nonmetropolitan area

30

12.22

25430

9.54

12.85

20.37

19850

26740

42370

Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area

Estimate Not Released

16.99

35330

13.35

20.27

33.31

27770

42160

69290

Tour Guides and Escorts Salaries in California

Area name

Employment

Hourly mean wage

Annual mean wage

Hourly median wage

Hourly 75th percentile wage

Hourly 90th percentile wage

Annual median wage

Annual 75th percentile wage

Annual 90th percentile wage

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale CA Metropolitan Division

380

12.99

27030

12.74

14.22

17.42

26510

29590

36240

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana CA

520

13.93

28970

13.02

15.45

21.30

27090

32130

44310

Napa CA

90

12.11

25180

10.59

11.37

18.97

22030

23640

39450

Oakland-Fremont-Hayward CA Metropolitan Division

30

13.41

27880

14.51

16.69

17.87

30180

34710

37180

Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura CA

40

14.42

30000

14.98

16.10

17.70

31160

33490

36820

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario CA

210

12.63

26270

11.06

14.93

18.42

23000

31050

38320

Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville CA

80

14.04

29210

12.78

19.67

20.67

26590

40920

42990

Salinas CA

130

12.66

26330

11.02

14.68

20.44

22920

30530

42510

San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos CA

610

15.74

32730

13.22

21.38

25.80

27500

44470

53650

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA

620

15.28

31790

13.78

17.69

24.76

28660

36790

51510

San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City CA Metropolitan Division

590

15.38

32000

13.75

17.82

24.98

28600

37070

51950

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA

190

11.06

23000

9.26

12.85

16.17

19270

26730

33620

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles CA

100

15.44

32110

18.73

20.66

20.67

38960

42980

42990

Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine CA Metropolitan Division

140

16.55

34420

14.41

21.83

26.08

29970

45410

54240

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta CA

Estimate Not Released

17.13

35620

13.75

25.24

27.59

28600

52510

57380

Santa Rosa-Petaluma CA

40

15.15

31520

13.70

17.85

20.94

28490

37130

43560

Recreational Protective Service Workers Salaries in California

Area name

Employment

Hourly mean wage

Annual mean wage

Hourly median wage

Hourly 75th percentile wage

Hourly 90th percentile wage

Annual median wage

Annual 75th percentile wage

Annual 90th percentile wage

Fresno CA

Estimate Not Released

9.60

19960

8.96

10.33

12.91

18640

21490

26850

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale CA Metropolitan Division

3560

14.79

30760

13.58

18.19

22.31

28250

37840

46400

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana CA

4720

14.70

30580

13.50

18.14

21.97

28080

37730

45700

Modesto CA

40

11.14

23180

10.81

11.78

14.33

22480

24510

29810

Napa CA

Estimate Not Released

13.50

28070

12.43

14.60

19.46

25850

30360

40480

Oakland-Fremont-Hayward CA Metropolitan Division

980

12.10

25170

11.35

13.42

16.01

23610

27910

33300

Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura CA

350

13.62

28330

14.37

15.85

17.88

29880

32970

37200

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario CA

990

11.31

23530

10.59

12.60

15.87

22030

26210

33010

Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville CA

710

10.89

22650

9.94

12.37

15.01

20680

25720

31210

Salinas CA

70

13.36

27790

13.78

15.01

19.31

28650

31220

40170

San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos CA

1490

13.00

27030

11.92

15.01

17.88

24800

31210

37200

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA

1630

13.45

27970

12.06

14.32

20.35

25080

29790

42320

San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City CA Metropolitan Division

650

15.48

32200

13.42

18.49

23.80

27910

38470

49500

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA

730

10.66

22180

9.88

11.46

14.77

20550

23840

30720

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles CA

150

11.97

24900

11.35

13.68

15.40

23610

28450

32040

Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine CA Metropolitan Division

1160

14.44

30040

13.32

17.91

21.16

27700

37240

44010

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta CA

190

15.16

31530

14.12

16.49

18.61

29370

34310

38710

Santa Cruz-Watsonville CA

110

13.79

28670

13.49

15.52

17.88

28060

32270

37190

Santa Rosa-Petaluma CA

160

12.07

25100

10.73

11.55

18.61

22320

24030

38700

Vallejo-Fairfield CA

150

12.24

25460

11.18

13.42

17.31

23260

27910

36000

Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area

Estimate Not Released

13.52

28110

12.22

16.25

19.15

25430

33800

39830

Eastern Sierra Region of California nonmetropolitan area

80

13.84

28800

12.14

15.63

21.50

25250

32500

44730

North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area

40

9.89

20570

8.94

10.12

11.71

18600

21040

24360

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Nature enthusiasts with the right skills and training may be well suited to become a park ranger in the largest state park in California – Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. This park is also nationally recognized as the second largest state park in the nation as well as the largest desert in the United States.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park stretches twenty-five miles from east-to-west and runs fifty miles north-to-south which brings its total acres to more than 650,000. Within this perimeter, it is the responsibility of park rangers to oversee and protect the park’s many natural and man-made features:

A major part of park ranger jobs in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is visitor interaction. By developing activities and interpretive programs, park rangers can educate the visiting public while improving their overall experience. Some examples of these activities and programs include:

Naturalists’ Talks: Park rangers may help to deliver naturalists talks to guests. The talks are intended to explain the natural characteristics of the park. Topics may include geology, wildlife and native plants. The talks take approximately forty minutes and occur in outdoors or in indoor classrooms.

Nature Walks: Park rangers may take guests on a guide tour of the park. These tours are usually a leisurely half-mile in length and may take up to forty-five minutes to complete. Nature walks give park rangers a chance to educate the public while allowing them to safely explore the park.

Guided Hikes: Park rangers may take guests on guided hikes of the park. These hikes differ from nature walks in that they are usually more strenuous and over a longer period of time. The location of these hikes may vary, and park rangers may have to navigate over rugged landscapes.

Campfire Programs: Park rangers may be in charge of developing and executing the park’s campfire programs. These programs usually take place on the weekends and during the evening at the Bow Willow, Borrego Palm Canyon and Tamarisk Grove Campgrounds. During these programs, park rangers entertain and educate guests with slide-show presentations, games, stories and songs.

Junior Rangers Program: Park rangers may supervise the park’s Junior Rangers Program. This program is exclusively open to kids ages 7-12 and is and hour in length. Park rangers help the kids to interact with each other while learning about important aspects of the park.

Big Basin Redwoods Park

Big Basin Redwoods State Park was established in 1902, making it the oldest state park in California. As the park’s name suggests, Big Basin Redwoods State Park is renown for its prominent redwood trees. In fact, it claims the largest uninterrupted shelf of ancient redwoods located south of San Francisco. It also features more than 18,000 acres of old and recovering redwood forest. As a result, forest conservation and restoration is a major component of park ranger jobs in Big Basin Redwoods State Park.

One of the chief responsibilities of park rangers in Big Basin Redwoods State Park is to protect and manage the park’s natural resources. Some examples of the park’s illustrious natural resources include:

Some job duties that park rangers perform to support natural resource management in Big Basin Redwoods State Park include:

Patrol designated wilderness areas

Monitor native bird species

Research preservation options

Initiate habitat restoration projects

Serving the Public as a Park Ranger in Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Another aspect of a park ranger’s job in Big Basin Redwoods State Park is to provide a wide-variety of customer services. Some examples of these services include:

Monitoring family and group campgrounds

Maintaining hiking, biking and equestrian trails

Providing volunteer training

Staffing the Park Headquarters

Planning and directing events

Some park rangers that work in Big Basin Redwoods State Park serve in law enforcement roles. According to California Department of Parks and Recreation, some law enforcement duties include:

Issue citations to offending visitors

Write reports on noteworthy occurrences

Make arrests for misdemeanors, felonies and warrants

Perform boat, vehicle and foot patrols

Conduct criminal investigations

Respond to emergencies

Directing traffic controls

Participate in firefighting missions

Death Valley National Park

Park ranger efforts in supporting tourism have recently made a splash in national news. According to reports by the National Park Service, visitor admission into Death Valley National Park rose to almost one million in 2012. These park visitors bolstered the local economy by spending a staggering $78 million in surrounding areas, which helped to support 929 jobs.

Perhaps the best perk to learning how to become a park ranger in San Bernardino, California is having access to jobs at the world-famous Death Valley National Park. Unfolding across over three million acres, this national park has become synonymous with extreme natural conditions, including:

The lowest point in North America: 282 feet below sea level

The driest point in North America: annual rainfall is < 2 inches

The hottest point in the world: often over 120 degrees in summer

Protective and Interpretive Park Rangers in Death Valley National Park

There are two main types of park rangers that work in Death Valley National Park: Interpretive Park Rangers and Protective Park Rangers. Each type is characterized by a specific set of duties, therefore it is important to understand their distinctive roles.

Interpretive Park Rangers:

The United State Office of Personnel Management defines an interpretive park ranger as one that interprets the natural, archeological, and historical features of an area to augment a visitor’s experience within it. Duties may include:

Presentations

Demonstration

Education Programs

Protective Park Rangers:

On the other hand, a protective park ranger is a park ranger that serves to protect visitors by performing a variety of law enforcement functions. Duties may include:

Patrolling campgrounds

Monitoring traffic

Citing park offenders

Natural Resource Management and Other Park Ranger Duties

Park ranger jobs at Death Valley National Park come with the benefit of baring witness to the breath-taking views of snow-covered mountain peaks, grandiose sand dunes, vibrant badlands and craggy canyons of the park’s expansive landscape. Yet the park’s astounding setting requires enormous care and protection.

1,000 plants species such as the desert holly, blackbrush, beavertail cactus and the ephemeral wildflower

51 mammal species such as the palid bat, desert shrew, gray fox and the desert bighorn sheep

307 bird species such as the marsh wren, hermit thrush, bobolink blackbird and the vesper sparrow

36 reptile species such as the desert tortoise, chuckwalla, zebra-tailed lizard and the western blind snake

3 amphibian species such as the red spotted toad, pacific treefrog, and the Inyo Mountains slender salamander

Several park rangers act as activities directors for the many organized events offered in Death Valley National Park. As activity directors, park rangers help to enhance visitor experiences by:

Educating guests through formal talks

Leading paleontology tours

Conducting question and answer sessions

Assisting in special events

Guiding tours through historical sites

Directing discovery walks

Supervising evening hikes

Some park rangers in Death Valley National Park may provide support to the Death Valley Education Team, which provides professional development programs for teachers. To create effective programs, park rangers often collaborate with fellow educators found in universities, non-profit organizations and school districts. These professional development courses could cover topics in:

Geology

Botany

Performing arts

Astronomy

Climate change

Phenology

Visual arts

Environmental education

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Beautiful Marin County, California is home to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The National Parks Conservation Association named Golden Gate National Recreation Area one of the most visited national parks in the United States in 2013, with 14,289,121 visitors that year alone.

According to the National Park service (NPS), which manages the park and hires the rangers that serve it, there are several reasons why so many are drawn to this urban playground:

The park houses 1,200 historic structures

The park features nine different cultural landscapes

The park contains 1,287 diverse plant and animal species

The park is comprised of nineteen distinctive ecosystems

The park is has the fourth largest museum collection in the NPS

The park also manages Fort Point National Historic Site and Muir Woods National Monument

Spanning approximately 80,000 acres and with nearly 15 million visitors a year, retaining a highly trained and experienced staff of park rangers is top priority at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. In 2010, the NPS hired a total of 339 employees, including:

230 permanent employees

42 intermediate-term employees

67 temporary employees

Interpretation and Protection Park Rangers in Golden Gate Recreational Area

According to the United States Bureau of Land Management, common duties performed by national park rangers may include the following:

Providing information to the general public

Conducting permit compliance checks

Handling safety inspections

Developing education programs

Responding to emergency calls

Maintaining recreational areas

Monitoring natural resource sites

Directing interactive hikes

After completing the training and degree requirements needed to work at Golden Gate National Recreation Area, park rangers must decide whether to take on interpretation-based or protection-based roles. Interpretation park rangers focus mainly on visitor education and experience while protection park rangers focus mainly on park control and safety issues.

Duties of Interpretative Park Rangers

Training co-workers and volunteers

Staffing the visitor information desk

Preparing interpretative programs

Creating wayside exhibits

Operating the park radio

Handling phone calls

Responding to visitor questions

Duties of Protective Park Rangers

Performing law enforcement patrols

Documenting motor vehicle accidents

Responding to emergency situations

Monitoring park resources

Investigating disturbances and disputes

Assisting in search and rescue missions

Enforcing traffic regulations

Henry W. Coe State Park

Henry W. Coe State Park is made up of more than 87,000 acres of land, making it not only the largest state park in northern California but the second largest in the state. Park rangers serve as the park’s caretakers, responsible for the overall well-being of all natural and man-made components of the park, including:

Natural features: grasslands, conifer forests and oak woodlands

Plant life: manzanita, purple needle grass and western rye

Waterways: Coyote, Pacheco and Orestimba creeks

Animal life: mountain lions, badgers and wild pigs

Trail ways: 250 miles of multi-functional trails

Park Rangers and Education Programs in Henry W. Coe State Park

One of the many professional roles held by park rangers in Henry W. Coe State Park is park educator. Local schools often organize fieldtrips for students at the park therefore, park rangers lead educational programs to teach students about the park’s natural environment through:

Slide-show presentations

Explorative hikes

Hands-on group activities

Interactive games

During these educational programs, park rangers instruct on a variety of subjects that directly affect the park’s complex ecosystem, for example:

Plant identification

Natural life cycles

Environmental Conservation

Weather patterns

Interdependent relationships

Stream Studies

Park Ranger Interpretive Programs at Henry W. Coe State Park

Part of park ranger jobs in Henry W. Coe State Park is to provide guidance and support to the Pine Ridge Association’s interpretive programs, including:

Wildflower Walks: Park rangers and volunteer staff lead visitors in guided tours throughout the park’s many walking trails. The walks take place in the spring when the wildflowers are in full bloom.

Ranger Led Hikes: Park rangers and volunteer staff educate visitors about the park’s natural features while leading down different hiking trails varying in length, location and difficulty.

Professional Associations for Park Rangers Assigned to Henry W. Coe State Park

A great way for park rangers that work in state parks, like Henry W. Coe State Park, to stay current with up-to-date innovations, issues and occupational standards in the field is to join a professional association such as the Park Rangers Association of California (PRAC). Not only do professional associations offer a source of resources, support and information but also typically provide:

Professional certifications

Educational classes

Training opportunities

Scholarship programs

Discussion forums

Occupational newsletters

More examples of professional associations for park rangers include:

California State Park Rangers Association (CSPRA)

Park Law Enforcement Association (PLEA)

International Ranger Federation (IRF)

Joshua Tree National Park

The National Park Service reports that in 2012 Joshua Tree National Park hosted nearly 1.4 million guests. These visitors not only supported the park, but also pumped $62,175,800 into the surrounding communities, helping to support some 770 local jobs.

Located in both Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, Joshua Tree National Park is a desert haven expanding across almost 800,000 acres with 585,000 acres of declared wilderness. This beloved national park was first put on the map when it became a national monument in 1936. In 1994, it rose to even greater significance when it earned its national park status. Since its inception, the number of park rangers that work here has grown steadily to serve and protect the millions of visitors that come to Joshua Tree National Park.

Students from all across the country come to places like Riverside County, California because they want to learn how to become a park ranger in Joshua Tree National Park. The allure of this nationally acclaimed park is easy to understand.

Visitor Safety and Other Park Ranger Responsibilities at Joshua Tree

Park rangers in Joshua Tree National Park recently became news heroes in March 2014 when they responded to three emergency incidents over a single weekend. These park rangers, called the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Protection Rangers, are part of an elite team designed to cope with visitor safety issues by:

Responding to emergency calls of fallen climbers

Investigating motor vehicle accidents

Conducting search and rescue missions

Transporting injured hikers

Operating emergency vehicles

Park management is a huge component of a park ranger’s job at Joshua Tree. Although it may seem that park rangers are mainly concerned with a park’s natural features and resources, they are also responsible for the upkeep and operation of designated visitor areas, including:

Information centers

Wayside exhibits

The park’s nine campgrounds

Backcountry camping areas

Dirt trails for mountain biking

Rock climbing areas

Horseback riding trails

Non-motorized bike trails

With the Colorado Desert to the east and the Mojave Desert to the west, Joshua Tree National Park features an exciting blend of breathtaking features, including:

Arroyos

Playas

Alluvial fans

Bajadas

Pediments

Desert varnish

Granites

Aplite

Gneiss

Like most ecosystems, Joshua Tree is a fragile environment that requires constant attention. Therefore, park ranger jobs involve working diligently to address issues that affect the park’s homeostasis. These issues include:

Air pollution

Natural and cultural landscape restoration

Cultural resource identification

Recreational impacts on natural resources

Invasive exotic plant species

Rare species conservation

Deficient baseline information on resources

Habitat disintegration

Lassen Volcanic National Park

A report published by the National Park Service revealed that the park rangers of Lassen Volcanic National Park welcomed 407,653 visiting guests in 2013. In turn, these visitors collectively spent more than $22 million in nearby towns and cities. This monetary contribution bolstered the local economy by supporting 297 jobs.

Situated among the Cascades Mountain Range, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the Great Desert Basin, Lassen Volcanic National Park offers views of volcanic geology at their most sublime. The park is also home to:

779 plant species

215 bird species

147 moth species

83 butterfly species

57 mammal species

14 amphibian and bird species

Outdoor enthusiasts searching for park ranger jobs at Lassen Volcanic National Park may be in luck. According to the National Park Service, Lassen Volcanic National Park’s budget will increase to provide funding for additional staff members, including park rangers. This larger team of park rangers will help improve the park’s future by:

Managing exotic plants and animals

Monitoring natural resources

Preserving archeological sites

Maintaining trails and service roads

Improving interpretive programs

Winterizing park facilities

Safety Considerations and Other Park Ranger Duties at Lassen Volcanic National Park

Park rangers and visitors cannot escape the irresistible pull of Lassen Volcanic National Park’s most extraordinary asset: its geothermal features. The park’s rich volcanic history gives way to a hydrothermal system that emits rumbling fumaroles, bubbling mud pots and simmering pools.

However, without the proper safety precautions admirers that venture too close to them could suffer serious injury. Therefore, park ranger jobs involve restricting visitor proximity and being prepared for emergency responses in the following geothermal areas of Lassen Volcanic National Park:

Bumpass Hell

Little Hot Springs Valley

Pilot Pinnacle

Sulphur Works

Devils Kitchen

Boiling Springs Lake

Terminal Geyser

Cold Boiling Lake

A huge part of a park ranger’s job in Lassen Volcanic National Park is to patrol and maintain the safe operation of the park’s 450 campsites and 150 miles of trails. Yet another part of their job is to help entertain visitors by creating events, leading tours and offering outdoor activities, such as:

Snowshoe Walks

Bird Banding Demonstrations

Day Hiking

Backpacking

Field Seminars

Bird Watching

Stargazing

Fishing

Wildlife Viewing

Point Reyes National Seashore

Park rangers in Marin County are often drawn to the dynamic biodiversity of Point Reyes National Seashore. This national park is home to sandy beaches, untamed hillsides, vast grasslands and wooded ridges that stretch across 71,070 acres.

With 33,373 acres of designated wilderness terrain and approximately 150 miles of hiking trails, it is no wonder that 2,641,808 guests recently visited the park in 2013.

Park rangers that work in a national park like Point Reyes National Seashore serve under the authority of the National Park Service (NPS).

Functioning Roles of Park Rangers in Point Reyes National Seashore

The United States Office of Personnel Management divides the functional roles of park rangers into three categories:

Visitor Protection and Services: Protective park rangers in Point Reyes National Seashore help to keep the park grounds safe and operational. These rangers often maintain recreational facilities, conduct emergency services, provide law enforcement, control visitor and vehicle traffic, and collect fees.

Resource Management: Resource management park rangers in Point Reyes National Seashore help to protect, manage and conserve the park’s natural and historic integrity. These rangers often help to manage structural fire prevention, supervise land-use activities, and preserve natural, cultural and historical structures.

Volunteer Experience and Internships at Point Reyes National Seashore

Volunteering – Ambitious individuals interested in pursuing park ranger jobs in Point Reyes National Seashore can enhance their resume by gaining volunteer experience at the park. In order to accommodate availability, the park provides short-term, intermediate-term and long-term volunteer options. Some examples of typical duties assigned to volunteers include:

Restoring natural habitats

Monitoring wildlife

Repairing park trails

Maintaining cultural exhibits

Cataloguing artifacts

Aiding park administration

Patrolling the park

Assisting in beach cleanups

Educating park visitors

Interning –Another way to facilitate employment at Point Reyes National Seaside is by completing an internship at the park. Internships offer youths, college students and adults the chance to receive on-the-job training while providing an inside look into the daily routines of a park ranger. Examples of past internship opportunities include:

Dunes and Wetlands Monitoring and Restoration Internship

Vegetation and Rangeland Management Youth Internship

Habitat Restoration Volunteer Coordinator

Coho and Steelhead Monitoring Program Internship

Marine Science Internship

Redwood National and State Parks

Redwood National and State Parks are composed of three state parks and one national park:

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park

Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park

Redwood National Park

The three state parks were established in the 1920s while the national park became recognized in the late 1960s. However, by the 1990s, the California Department of Parks and Recreation along with the National Park Service decided to manage all four parks as a joint cooperative.

Today, the all three state parks are located within Redwood National Park territory. These four parks are collectively referred to as the Redwood National and State Parks.

Park Rangers as Activities Directors at Redwood National and State Parks

Park ranger jobs in Redwood National and State Parks involve protecting and maintaining the health of natural resources, as well as how visitors interact with those natural resources. Park rangers often plan, organize, execute and supervise outdoor activities that help to attract visitors, including:

Hiking

Camping

Backcountry Exploration

Wildlife Viewing

Kayaking

Dance Demonstrations

Bicycling

Horseback Riding

Ranger-led Programs

Redwood National and State Parks by the Numbers

Stretching from Oregon’s southern border to the Redwood Creek watershed in Orick, California, the Redwood National and State parks encompass 131,983 acres along California’s northernmost coast. 49,935 of these acres are located in Del Norte County while the remaining 80,843 acres are in Humboldt County.

To service such a large area, the parks require a sizable staff that includes a team of qualified park rangers. During the peak season of 2013, the parks employed 88 permanent and 45 temporary federal workers.

Reports by the National Park Service indicate that the 330,158 visitors to Redwood National Park in 2012 generated over $20 million in spending. This spending trickled down to local economies, which helped to sustain 294 jobs in the area.

However, this report did not factor in how the other three Redwood state parks—Del Norte Coast Redwoods, Prairie Creek Redwoods and Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Parks—also stabilize local economies. In actuality, approximately 900,000 guests visit the four Redwood National and State Parks collectively each year. These visitors help rake in an estimated $55 million in spending, a portion of which goes to supporting about 500 jobs in adjacent communities.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Notorious for its towering sequoia trees, Sequoia National Park is the second oldest park in the United States and spans some 404,063 acres. In 1943, Sequoia National Park teamed up with neighboring Kings Canyon National Park and grew to a commanding 865,964 acres.

Today, these parks are maintained and operated by the National Park Service (NPS) and its appointed staff of dedicated park rangers. According to the NPS, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks attracted 1,595,214 visitors in 2011. To accommodate such a large numbers of guests, the NPS employed:

Park rangers employed at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are often split into two categories: interpretive and protective. Interpretive park rangers are responsible for explaining the natural and historical features of the field to visiting guests. Protective park rangers are responsible for the general patrolling and emergency response operations that ensure visitor safety. According to the NPS, some examples of job duties include:

Providing customer services

Interpreting park features during guided talks, walks and demonstrations

Utilizing resource management programs

Carrying out search and rescue missions

Collecting fees

Managing firefighting operations

Controlling visitor traffic

Yosemite National Park

The vast majesty of Yosemite National Park attracts millions of visitors each year to California’s Yosemite Valley. In fact, the National Park Service (NPS) reported 3,996,017 park visitors in 2012 alone.

Nature enthusiasts and tourists alike have plenty of space to explore, as Yosemite National Parks spans an incredible 747,956 acres of protected land. This acreage includes 704,624 acres of designated wilderness, which accounts for approximately 94% of the total allotment.

Due to the Yosemite’s size and reputation, the NPS must fill several park ranger jobs to accommodate the various needs of National Park. In 2010, there were 1,123 NPS workers employed during the park’s winter season. By the summer season of that year this figure grew by 743 additional workers.

Working and Volunteering at Yosemite National Park

First and foremost, park rangers are responsible for protecting the health and safety of the natural environment and visitors of Yosemite National Park. As a result, in 2010, park rangers helped to sustain park functionality by:

Participating in 245 search and rescue operations

Handling 670 motor vehicle accidents

Issuing 2,469 citations regarding wilderness preservation

Distributing 11,223 warnings

To shield the park’s flora and fauna from human traffic, park rangers penalize visitors that disturb the wilderness or bring household pets into the wilderness by dispensing written warnings and citations.

Yosemite National Park is one of the most famous parks in the United States, if not the world. As such, park ranger jobs here are highly competitive and candidates are encouraged to gain work experience that will set them apart from fellow applicants.

Luckily, Yosemite National Park hosts a range of volunteer and internship programs that may increase the marketability of prospective employees. For example, some recently advertised positions include:

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